For the Ladies Please.....

[Jkm7]

Okay..... I know all you guys opened this anyway.

Ladies..... I scheduled my annual mammogram before I knew I was having a second OHS. Appointment I cancelled was for three days after my surgery.

I'm now coming up to 12 weeks post op and wonder how long I should wait to reschedule the mammogram. I hate to let it slide any longer than necessary.

I still have some chest discomfort but am not worried about that so much as is it possible the squeezing and squishing could do some internal damage if still healing???

Has anyone been advised by their surgeons/cardios in this regard?

Thanks.

 

[AgilityDog]

I hate smooshograms anyway, so I'd be tempted to let it slide another 3-4 weeks if you are still sore now. It's not like they're going to do any damage (except watching for the pacemaker if you have one), but it's kind of like not doing mammograms until after that time of the month, when any swelling has passed. If you are not on coumadin you could take an advil an hour prior to the smoosh, to help with discomfort and swelling, (per the techs at Susan G. Komen center in Dallas) if you want to go ahead with it. Believe me, they will ask about that gorgeous fresh zipper, and they do try to be careful. If in doubt, call the imaging center or your surgeon's office and ask for their opinion.

 

[Jkm7]

It's 'damage' I'm uneasy about. Not actually concerned. Want to be sure the 'smooshing' too soon post op wouldn't tear some internal stitches or such. On the other hand, hate to let too long go by and not have annual test. I was due for it February.

Thankfully, no pacemaker and finished with post op 2 1/2 months of coumadin.

 

[Karlynn]

If your last few mamos have been clear with no concerns or suspicians - I wouldn't be in any rush. I'd wait another month or so.

 

[Guest]

Mine was scheduled for December, I rescheduled for Jan(2 months postop) If you can hold off that long, I'd recommend it. When she smooshed the paddles for the sideways one, it brushed my incision and it hurt. She was very gentle otherwise and was almost afraid to do it. She closed the paddles slowly. They spotted something and I had to go back for a spot compression the following Monday. They said sometimes your tissue will overlap and they do this to make sure. I asked her to let me see my mammo and there it was, a white spot.

She smooshed and left, came back smooshed some more, came back and said all was fine. That evening, I was still sore from smooshing but thankfully a clean mammogram. If it had gone the other way, I think I would have fell apart.

I have never had an abnormal mammogram before.